


Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

by dreambastion



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles is a BAMF, Charles is running for president, Erik is an assassin, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mutants Are Accepted, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 08:29:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8705107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreambastion/pseuds/dreambastion
Summary: Charles is a presidential hopeful, Erik is an international assassin - some people think that isn’t a good mix





	

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this fic should have a massive explanation, but I'll stick to the few most pertinent points:
> 
> 1) When I started this I intended it to be a retelling of _The Adjustment Bureau_ , but with mutants. The more I played with the plot points and characters to get the right feel, the more it became an even fusion of the two instead.
> 
> 2) I started this fic years ago after First Class came out, but I only made it halfway before things happened and I never finished it. As such, characterizations were initially based on First Class portrayals, but I threw in a heavy dose of comic-verse characterizations to get them where I wanted them. (there is nothing of the Days of Future Past or Apocalypse movies in here)
> 
> 3) If anyone is familiar with the comics, you may recognize Blindfold from there - I have adjusted her powers slightly to better suit the plot. Also, Janos' powers follow movie canon, not comic canon
> 
> (this is not beta'd - I've reread it multiple times, but it is quite likely that I missed some typos - apologies in advance)

Just because the world accepted mutants didn’t mean that prejudices were gone.  Many times, a human would see someone with wings or horns or yellow eyes and there would be a barely suppressed shudder, a barely hidden desire to cross to the other side of the street.

Blindfold had seen those shudders all her life, even though she was eyeless.  She was only blind to things of the normal world, as she could see beyond what normal eyes could see.  She could see the future.  But before you ask _Why didn’t she end all wars and make everyone get along if she could see all things?_ you must know there were limitations.  There are too many variables in the world for one person to know everything that will happen.  Instead, she could see various possible futures, but only for a single person at a time, and only if touching something that belonged to that the being.  A child's toy, a man's watch, a woman's favorite dress.  At one point in time she had in her possession a worn, well-loved cardigan that had belonged to one Charles Xavier.

++++++++++

Erik ducked inside a stall and closed the door when he heard the outer bathroom door open. He breathed shallowly to minimize noise that might draw attention to himself. Erik made his living at being invisible when he needed to be.

Footsteps echoed across the tile floor and Erik heard the sound of water running in one of the sinks. He was fervently wishing the person would hurry up when the intruder spoke.

“It doesn’t matter how quietly you breathe, I know you’re there."

The voice was accented, settling somewhere between rich upstate New York and posh English education. He knew the man couldn’t see him where he was, so Erik intended to ignore him; he'd wanted to get in and out with minimal contact with others.

“I’m a telepath, so there's not much point in pretending I don't know you're there."

Erik considered this and decided that showing himself would be less suspicious than continuing to hide. He slid the lock loose and let the door swing open, getting his first look at the telepath.  Brilliant blue eyes looked back at him from the man’s reflection in the mirror. Longer brown hair fell across his forehead, giving him a boyish look that was at odds with the air of ancient wisdom he exuded.

“You’re Charles Xavier,” Erik said as he walked across the tile.  The man at the sink turned to face him, a slight smile on his face.

“That I am.  Why are you hiding in the men’s room?” Charles asked.

Erik thought about lying, but realized that telling a telepath a lie seemed like a foolish waste of effort.  He also thought about knocking Charles out and disappearing, but a presidential hopeful like Charles Xavier would have protection somewhere, likely right outside the door.

There was also something about Charles that set Erik at ease, which unnerved him more than many things had done in his life.  It didn’t unnerve him enough to make him leave, though.

“I’m here to kill someone,” Erik said.  Charles quirked a brow and leaned against the counter, his expression unconcerned despite Erik’s blunt announcement.

“Who are you here to kill?”

“Not you, if that’s your worry,” Erik replied and Charles’ smile grew wider.

“Oh, I know that.  I read your mind when I came into the restroom,” he replied.  Erik shifted backwards, an involuntary move away from Charles, who pretended not to notice.

“Baxter Molson,” Charles said.  Erik nodded, confirming the mark’s identity.

“He isn’t someone from my party,” Charles added.

“No, he’s attending a wedding upstairs.”

“Is Mr. Molson an important man?”

“Not in your world.  But he is very important to the young girls that he rapes,” Erik explained.  Charles flinched and Erik waited for an admonishment that never came.  Instead, Charles looked around as though searching for something.

“I don’t see any weapons,” he pointed out.  Erik reached into his pocket, pleased when Charles did no more than look interested.  Erik held out his hand and Charles looked down at the small piece of metal lying in his palm.

“And what does that do?” Charles asked, reaching to touch the fragment with one finger.

“It does whatever I want it to do,” Erik explained as the metal began to float above his palm and spin in a lazy circle.  After a few turns it shot to the side and embedded deep into the wood frame around the mirror.  Charles’ eyes widened and his lips parted on a soft gasp.  He turned to Erik and smiled brilliantly wide.

“That was magnificent,” he whispered and Erik found himself ducking his head to hide the sudden light flush to his cheeks.

“You have a lovely mind,” Charles added, his tone a bit awed.  Erik looked up with a frown, wondering if Charles was probing without him noticing.

“Only surface thoughts, my friend.  It’s an old habit to do a quick scan of any room I am going into where I might be isolated.  And even with the best of intentions I can’t block everything,” Charles explained.

“And yet you came in, knowing I was here to kill someone.”

“At heart you are a good man, and I knew you weren’t here for me,” Charles said.  Erik laughed, but it was a mirthless sound that escaped him before he could stop it.

“I am _not_ a good man, Mr. Xavier.”

“You are a good man who has done bad things when necessary.  And I insist that you call me Charles.”

“Charles then, look, I’m…”

“Have you killed anyone that I might have known?” Charles interrupted him.  Erik clicked his mouth shut and stared at Charles, who just smiled back at him.  Erik finally sighed and shrugged, glancing away.

“I’ve killed many people, Charles.  Human and mutant alike,” he replied and an unbidden thought of Sebastian Shaw floated to the forefront of his mind.  Charles’ eyes tightened and his mouth pursed into a grimace.

“I didn’t know Shaw personally, but I definitely knew of him.  If he was one of yours, I must congratulate you on ridding the world of a horrible evil,” Charles said, then tilted his head to the side and studied Erik a moment before adding, “It’s funny.  When he died, I kept hearing these odd rumors about death-by-coin.  It never made sense until now.”

“You aren’t afraid or disgusted,” Erik said, a statement more than a question, but Charles responded anyway.

“Oh no, I think you’re marvelous,” Charles admitted with a faint blush.

They stared at each other, an undercurrent of _something_ between them.  After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Erik cleared his throat and looked away.

“Was he your first kill?” Charles asked quietly.

“No, he was the culmination of a very long list of men that deserved worse than death,” Erik replied just as quietly as he looked back up to meet Charles’ gaze.  He could tell from Charles’ expression that he wanted to ask more, but he refrained.  Erik hesitated a moment, then grabbed his cuff and pulled up his left sleeve.

Charles looked down and Erik held his breath as he took in the tattoo on Erik’s arm.  He wondered if Charles understood what the tattoo meant, that string of letters and numbers standing out starkly against his flesh.  Charles reached out to touch the tattoo, but he paused and looked to Erik for permission.  When Erik didn’t pull away, Charles brushed his finger over the marked skin.

Erik felt electric, like all his hairs were standing on end.  One simple touch from this blue-eyed man and Erik felt more alive than he had in decades.  He was drawn to Charles, was telling him things that Erik never divulged to anyone else.  This man knew what Erik was, what he had done, but accepted him with such ease.  Erik had never met anyone like Charles and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to have a taste of this man who looked at Erik and only thought he was _marvelous_.

Erik surged forward with the intention of pushing Charles against the wall and kissing the breath from him.  He was surprised when Charles met him halfway, as insistent in the kiss as Erik, hands grasping in clothing as their lips and tongues moved against each other.  They only broke apart, both breathing hard, when they heard a voice calling Charles from the door.

“I’ll just be a moment,” Charles called out, his voice deceptively calm considering the heaving of his chest.

“I should go,” Erik muttered between his own desperate breaths.  With a flick of his fingers he yanked the piece of metal from the mirror frame and returned it to his pocket, his cock twitching with want at Charles’ delighted expression.  Erik started for the door, but stopped when Charles called out to him.

"Erik."

Erik turned to him with a lifted brow as he thought towards Charles _I never told you my name._  

 _Surface thoughts_ Charles projected back at him with a slight grin and a one-shouldered shrug before saying out loud, "I want to see you again."

Erik hesitated - he had spent many years destroying the lives of evil men, but he had always done his best to not hurt good people.  And Charles was good people.  Kind, caring and determined to right the wrongs in the world, while being in the unique position of actually having the power to do those things.  The selfish part of Erik's brain whispered and reminded him that Charles knew who he was, what he was, and yet he still radiated acceptance, awe, lust - he wanted Erik, just as Erik was.

"I'll find you," Erik promised and Charles’ responding smile could have lit half the city.  Erik couldn't help but smile in return before walking through the door.  A young blonde woman was standing in the hall with two men, her expression surprised as she watched Erik walk out.  She motioned and the two men entered the bathroom behind him.  He could just make out Charles’ voice assuring them he was well before Erik made it around the corner and out of sight.

+++++++++

Blindfold sat up with a start, her heart beating a frantic rhythm in her chest.

“Mistress!” she called out and kept calling until the door opened and someone came in.  Blindfold had never seen Emma Frost, but she knew just what she looked like.  She was thin and blonde, with an air of coldness that had nothing to do with her all-white wardrobe or the paleness of her looks.  She pressed a hand to Blindfold’s forehead and settled on the bed beside her.

“What is it?  What did you see?” she asked.

“Xavier… he met someone.  His future has shifted to include new possible outcomes.”

“Who did he meet?  Did you get a name?” Emma asked.

“Charles called him Erik.  They were talking in a coffee shop.  It isn’t the first that they’ve been together.  Charles wants him.  And there was something about metal,” Blindfold explained.  Emma brushed a chilly hand against her hair and she knew that the White Queen had shifted to her diamond form, as she often did around other telepaths.

“You’ve done well.  You should get some more sleep.”

As Emma left the room, Blindfold settled back on her bed and hugged the warm cardigan more tightly around her body.

++++++++++

Emma paced her office, Azazel and Janos watching her with mild annoyance at being summoned during the night when they had been sleeping.

“It must be Erik Lehnsherr.  It has to be,” Emma said and finally sat down at her desk.  Janos flicked a questioning glance at Azazel.

“He is also called Magneto,” Azazel answered quietly.

“The one we tried to recruit?” Janos asked Emma.

“Yes, the one we tried to recruit.  The one who wants nothing to do with the Hellfire Club,” Emma replied.

“The one who killed Shaw,” Azazel added.

“Yes.  Well, this development just won’t do.  We have to keep the two of them apart.  Charles is poised to become the first mutant president in history and we can’t let an association with Erik Lehnsherr get in the way of that.  Too many of the world’s leaders know who Erik is and it would destroy Charles’ candidacy,” Emma said.

“So we kill him,” Janos said, his expression as bland as his nonchalant statement.

“No, we do not kill him.  He is a powerful mutant, and even if he won’t join us, our cause can’t afford to lose him,” Emma said, her statement as good as an order that he was to be unharmed.

“So we turn him away from Xavier.  How?” Azazel wondered.

“We’ll have to be subtle. He can’t know we are interfering. Let’s hire him for a job, somewhere far away, and let’s keep them there as long as we can. Steal his passport, miss meetings, anything to delay his return. Hopefully we can stall him long enough that he loses interest,” Emma said.

“I’ll contact him about a job and play the part of the employer, Azazel can relieve Mr. Lehnsherr of some vital belongings,” Janos agreed and they set to work.

+++++++++

Erik hated dealing with incompetent people, particularly when those people were the ones paying him. And he was quickly starting to hate Barcelona, now that he was stuck there.

He’d received an email requesting his services. The email explained that the mark in question had stolen money from the charitable organization he was managing, to the detriment of the families who needed the charity’s help.

He’d arrived five days ago, and was supposed to meet with his employer (he never completed a job without a face to face meeting). But the meeting had been rescheduled… then rescheduled again… and then again.

Erik was sitting in a corner cafe, watching the door with ill-concealed impatience. This was the time they had agreed to meet, and the mysterious employer was an hour late and hadn’t contacted Erik. He looked at his watch again and stood, angrily tossing a few bills on the table to pay for his lunch.

He made his way back to his hotel room. He confirmed the door hadn’t been tampered with, and listened for a moment to make sure he couldn’t hear anything inside before he entered.

He was quite shocked when he stepped into the bedroom area and found his suitcase dumped on the bed and his belongings thrown around the room. He immediately reached for metal, arming himself in case someone was still there.

He thoroughly checked the room and confirmed there was no one hiding in wait for him. The door and window hadn’t been tampered with, which meant only a mutant could have been in the room. Other than his stuff being scattered everywhere, the only thing that he could pinpoint as out of place was an odd, lingering odor of sulfur.

He went through his things piece by piece, folding them back into his suitcase and cataloging everything he found.

When he was done, he realized that the only thing missing was his passports… all of them (he always carried more than one, just in case).

“Well, fuck.”

+++++++++

Charles’ phone rang and he answered it without checking the caller ID.  It was his private line, so a limited amount of people knew the number.

“Hello.”

“Charles?”

Charles sat back in his seat, surprised at the voice on the other end of the line.  It was a voice he would never forget, with its faded German accent; it was seared into his memory.

“Erik.”

“Hello, Charles.  How are you?”

“I’m… well.”

“Are you sure?  You sound hesitant?”

“I…  I must admit that I’m surprised to hear from you,” Charles said, wincing at the truth in that statement.

“I told you that I would find you,” Erik reminded him.

“Oh, I remember.  It’s just that, you see, in my line of work I am surrounded by people who don’t do as they say they will,” Charles explained.

“Ah, but I’m no politician, and I keep my word,” Erik said.

“So I see.  I’m very glad to hear from you, Erik.  I’ve been thinking about you.”

“Have you now?  That’s good, because I’ve been thinking about you, too.”

“I told you that I want to see you again.  Am I going to?”

“That is why I was calling.  I had to leave New York for a short while.  I hope to be back in a few days and I would like to see you then,” Erik explained. Charles noticed a slight emphasis on the word ‘hope’.

“Is everything okay where you are?” he asked.

“I’ve had some… complications come up, but it shouldn’t be anything I can’t deal with,” Erik assured him.

“I’m sure you can. You’ll call me when you get back in town?”

“I will.  Speaking of which, you didn’t ask how I got this number to reach you,” Erik said.

“Well, you wouldn’t be much of an assassin if you weren’t capable of tracking someone down,” Charles replied with a light laugh.

“That is true, and I am one of the best,” Erik agreed and hung up.  Charles stared at the phone in his hand and smiled.

++++++++++

It had taken Erik six days and more money than he cared to lose to have another passport created under one of his aliases. He’d been in Barcelona for two weeks, and after the last attempted meeting, had been unable to contact his potential employer.

He was positive it had all been a setup, he just wasn’t sure who was trying to keep him here and why. Once he was back in New York, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

He stepped out of his morning shower, ready to get dressed and go to the airport. He sniffed, and over the steam and shampoo, he once again caught a faint hint of sulfur in the air. He felt the metal in the walls thrumming in response to him as he instantly went on high alert. He slipped through the door to the bedroom, but this time nothing looked out of place. That is, until he opened his carryon bag.

There, on top of his clothes, were all of his missing passports.

But now his plane ticket was gone.

“Son of a bitch!”

He forced down his rage when he realized that the lamps on the walls were rattling in an effort to pull loose and come to him. He got dressed quickly, determined to buy a ticket on the first flight out he could get. He would stay at the airport, risk the security there, until he was on a plane. Whoever was messing with him would be less likely to do so in a crowded airport… he hoped.

++++++++++

Charles felt a tingling along his spine, and the odd feeling of being watched.  He lowered the outer barrier on his mind and let his senses spread through the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary, any thoughts that might be…

_Hello again, Charles._

Charles smiled as he turned in his seat, searching for the source of the familiar mental voice sweeping across his mind.

_Erik, how delightful._

_I’m surprised that you’re just hanging out alone at the corner café like a normal person._

_I am never really alone, my friend._

_I know, I can see your friends at the table by the wall.  Not the best place for them to sit if they’re supposed to be protecting you._

_Not to worry, Erik, they have their ways of compensating for being more discreet and giving me some space._

_Mutants?_

_Of course._

_I should have guessed._

_As lovely as it is to speak to you like this, I would much rather be face to face.  Join me?_

_I thought you would never ask._

Movement to his left caught his eye and he turned to see Erik rise from a seat by the door and move through the maze of tables towards him.  He was wearing tan slacks, a white polo and a straw fedora – Charles’ mouth went dry.  The man could certainly wear a fedora.

Charles motioned to Alex when he rose from his chair to intercept Erik. Alex turned back to his seat with a frown and said something that had Darwin and Sean both turning to watch Charles more closely.  Erik took the seat across the small table from Charles and dropped his hat on the surface, one hand sliding reflexively through his hair to smooth it.

“You’re looking well, Charles.”

“I rather feel like I’m looking a bit dumpy today,” Charles retorted, motioning to his worn tweed jacket and threadbare jeans, “Hardly debonair, like you.”

“It suits you, though.”

“Well, thank you,” Charles replied as he signaled the waiter.  Erik ordered coffee and a croissant, then leaned back in his chair.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Erik asked.

“No, not at all.  I come here often.  I’ve lived in this neighborhood for years, so the locals tend to leave me be and let me enjoy my breakfast in peace,” Charles said.

“It must be nice to still have that comfort somewhere when you are so well known,” Erik agreed.  The waiter brought Erik’s order and they settled into easy chatter about the weather and areas of interest in the neighborhood.

Erik had just taken his last sip of coffee when Charles looked at his watch.  He frowned and muttered under his breath.  Erik looked at him questioningly.

“I apologize, but I have to go.  I promised my sister I would take care of a few things today and if I don’t leave soon I will never finish,” Charles explained.  He caught the quickly hidden flash of disappointment on Erik’s face.  Before Erik could excuse himself, Charles continued speaking.

“But I’ve a better idea.  Why don’t you come with me?  It will give us a chance to spend more time together, to let you learn a little more about me,” he offered.  Erik smiled and nodded.  Charles sent a quick telepathic message to Darwin letting him know about the change of plans.

Charles would have preferred that he and Erik ride together to give them more time to talk, but Erik wanted to bring his car.  Charles offered to have Sean drive the car for him, but Erik shot down that offer with just a quirk of his brow.  So Erik followed them out to Westchester County.

The gravel drive crunched under the car tires as they pulled in.  Children were playing on the far lawn and several of the house windows were open to let in the breeze from the fair weather they were enjoying.  Charles climbed from the car as Erik reached the door.  He watched as Erik studied the grounds, looking around in interest that Charles knew hid the fact that Erik was measuring and weighing everything he saw.  Erik had a military mind, noting exits and possible weapons every time he walked into a room.

“Nothing here will harm you,” Charles assured him, paused, and then continued with a sheepish grin, “Well, at least not intentionally.”

“And unintentionally?”

“There are young mutants here and unfortunately not all of them are in full control of their powers yet,” Charles explained.  They were greeted at the door by a lithe dark-skinned woman with white hair and blue eyes.  Charles pulled Erik forward to introduce them.

“Erik, meet Ororo Munroe.  Ororo, this is Erik Lehnsherr.  Ororo is the headmistress of the school, and oversees everything for me.”

Erik and Ororo shook hands before she turned to Charles.

“Everything is ready in your office, so the sooner we get started, the better.  I have classes this afternoon,” she said.  Charles nodded and turned to Erik.

“Feel free to make yourself at home.  Alex will show you to a lounge where you can relax.”  Charles touched Erik’s hand, gratified when he turned their fingers together for a moment before letting Charles go.

Charles rushed through his meetings, finishing the needed paperwork for the school as quickly as he could, anxious to get back to Erik.  When the last page was signed, he dismissed his secretary and only paused a moment to freshen up before heading out.  He could sense Erik’s mind at the edge of the front lawn and followed that sense until he stood beside the taller man.

“So, this is your home?” Erik asked when Charles stepped up beside him.

“It was my home, when I was a child.  It has been in the family for generations.  When my parents and my stepfather had all died, it came to me.”

“And you turned it into a school?”  Erik took Charles’ hand and they began a slow walk around the grounds.

“Later, yes.  It was much too big for just Raven and I, and she convinced me to change its purpose.  I always wanted to be a teacher for mutants, but try as I might, I could never convince any of the universities to expand their studies.”  
  
“So you took it on yourself to create one.”

“It became more than a school.  It became a haven for adult mutants as well.  That is actually how I got started in politics.”

“Oh?” Erik queried.

“Raven’s friends were staying here for a while and I became aware of her, shall I say, extracurricular activities.  They were mixed up in a violent activist group, so I stepped in and began teaching them how to resolve things in a more peaceful manner,” Charles explained.

They paused to look at a fountain gurgling quietly in one of the gardens.  Erik’s fingers were still linked with Charles’ and he couldn’t help the spread of warmth from the simple gesture of affection.

“One thing led to another and a few years later I was a darling of the media and had been elected to Congress.  Now here I am running for president,” Charles said.

“Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.  I’ve sent a few younger mutants your way in my travels.  I’d heard good things about this place,” Erik told him and his grip on Charles’ hand tightened.  Charles turned to him with a soft smile and reached his spare hand up to touch Erik’s cheek.

“Let’s stay here tonight.  We’ll have dinner, drinks in my study.  I have a room in the private family wing,” he asked and a tremble ran through him when Erik nodded with a quiet intensity in his eyes.

++++++++++

Blindfold sat in her room, her fingers twisted together in her lap, waiting for Emma to return.  She had another vision that she needed to share, but her gut was telling her that it wouldn’t change anything.

The door opened and she heard the sound of high heels on the wood floor, crossing to stop in front of her.  She turned her eyeless face towards where Emma stood, and Blindfold enjoyed the almost inaudible hiss of breath that Emma couldn’t hide.  Emma had never liked the fact that she couldn’t read Blindfold’s expressions like she could others when her telepathy wasn’t of use.

“So, what news?” Emma asked.

“Another vision.  Erik is not a danger.”

“Not a danger?  What do you mean?”

“Not a danger.  He will not hurt Charles’ chances of being elected.”

“You’re sure?” Emma pushed and Blindfold nodded.

“It’s the most likely outcome.”

Emma was silent for a moment, then touched Blindfold’s hair and left the room.  Blindfold might not see, but she knew that Emma wouldn’t stop pushing Charles and Erik apart.  So she would do what she could to help them.

++++++++++

Erik stared at the chess board, trying to determine his next move while listening to Charles explain his views on mutants versus humans.  They’d had a pleasant dinner and had then retired to Charles’ study for drinks, where Erik spotted the chess board.  Charles had been delighted to learn that Erik loved to play, and seemed to be even more delighted to find that Erik was actually quite good, a challenge that Charles said he relished.

Now if they could just stop arguing about how the _human problem_ should be handled.  Charles moved his queen with a thump as he expounded on another point of discussion.  Erik sighed and held up his hand to stop Charles.

“You’re missing the point, Charles,” Erik said.  Charles sat back in his seat and would have been the image of comfort against the dark red leather of the chair if not for the frustrated expression on his face.

“No, you’re missing the point, my friend.  I'm not some paragon of equality. I'm selfish, and doing all of this for my own reasons.  Yes, I want humans and mutants to get along.  Yes, I am in politics to influence decisions.  Yes, I intend to run for president to get into that position of power to be able to change policy.  But only because this is my way of ensuring as much protection for mutants as I can.  I believe the races can exist together, and need to exist together, peacefully, but this is more about making sure mutants aren't targeted,” Charles explained.

“But mutants are more powerful," Erik pointed out.

"Yes, some are more powerful, some aren't, and all are vastly outnumbered.  Non-mutants still have the advantage with population and weapons," Charles said.

“And you think you can do this? You’ve sacrificed your own dreams for this life?” Erik asked.

“I know I can do this.  I’ve been doing this for years now, since I started working with Raven and her friends.  My meteoric rise through the political ranks is due to my ability to make both sides see reason.  I show that things can be done the right way, that we can keep things peaceful enough that there is no need to lash out, but I also make sure not to let everyone get complacent enough that they don’t think before they act".

“Do you use your powers for that?” Erik wondered.  Charles shrugged and toyed with one of Erik’s captured pawns.

“I try not to.  I even allow others to wear telepathy blocking helmets, or bring shield telepaths, to meetings so that it makes them feel more comfortable around me.  I won’t lie and say that I haven’t done it on occasion, but I do try not to abuse my standing that way.”

Erik stared across the board at Charles, studying him.  He was a mutant powerful enough that he could take over the world and mold it to suit his own whims if he decided he wanted to.  But instead of using his selfish streak for himself, he was working to let the world shape itself, just pushing people in the right direction to allow mankind to grow into the best version of itself.

He picked up his glass and drained the last of his scotch, then stood and held out his hand to Charles. Charles accepted it without hesitation and moved to stand in front of Erik.

“I want nothing more right now than to take you to bed, Charles.”

Charles’ breath hitched with anticipation.

“I won’t, though. Not yet,” Erik continued. Charles didn’t bother to hide his disappointment. Erik took both of Charles’ hands in his own and gently twisted Charles’ arms behind his back, holding his wrists there, using the force to drag him forward so they were pressed together. Charles’ pupils dilated and his breathing sped up.

“When I take you to bed, Charles, it needs to be when we are alone. I plan to strip you completely bare, not just of your clothes, but of your upper crust gentility. I want to taste you until your skin burns for my slightest touch, until you are nothing but raw nerves and need.”

Charles shuddered and licked his lips, unable to stop the mental image that formed in his mind from bleeding out a little to Erik, of him flushed and shaking apart as Erik moved over him.

“Yes, just like that. And that is why I won’t do it here, tonight. I plan to make you lose control, Charles, and I wouldn’t want any of that leaking out and traumatizing anyone in the house.”

“The walls in here are lined with metal, to shield the rest of the house, just in case,” Charles explained. Erik cocked his head, his focus shifting momentarily to the room around them.

“Interesting. I wondered why I’d felt so much metal calling to me since we came up here after dinner. But that is actually more reason to not do this here,” Erik said. He leaned in to brush his lips over Charles’ ear, enjoying the stutter of breath that escaped the telepath at the whisper of touch. Erik added, “When I break you apart, I intend to lose myself in the pieces, and I would hate to bring the room crushing in on us.”

Charles whimpered and stared at Erik with glazed eyes, his lips parted. Erik couldn’t resist taking what was so blatantly being offered, he lowered his head and kissed Charles. The kiss was lazy, slow and full of heat, Erik’s tongue fucking Charles’ mouth in a promise of pleasures to come. When he finally pulled back, Charles was leaning into him, trembling and breathless.

“I’m going to go now, drive back to the city. I know I said I would stay, but I won’t be able to resist you if I do.”

Charles nodded, understanding the reasoning but clearly not happy about it.

“I don’t want to wait another two weeks to see you again, Erik.” Charles pulled one hand free from Erik’s grasp behind his back and clutched at Erik’s shirt.

“You won’t, I promise,” Erik said. He smiled, gave Charles another shorter, but no less passionate, kiss. He left the room, and Charles had to grab the back of a chair to keep himself upright.

++++++++++

Erik had already called to promise to meet him for dinner, so Charles felt slightly mollified about the abandonment the night before.

He was in his lab, deep under the school, running a search with Cerebro.  He tried to do periodic scans, always on the lookout for mutants who may need to safety of the school.  He was scanning the surrounding area when he heard a soft female voice say his name.

_Charles._

_Hello?_

_Oh, it is you.  I’d know your voice anywhere._

_And who is this?_

_My name is Blindfold._

_Blindfold?_

_My other name is Ruth._

_Well, Ruth… how is it you know my voice?_

_I have seen you in visions._

_Have you now?_

_I must apologize, because until recently I was sharing those visions with Emma._

_Emma?  Emma Frost?_

_White Queen of the Hellfire Club._

_Yes, I know of her.  Why have you been sharing your visions with her?_

_The Hellfire Club has an interest in making sure you become president._

_They can get in line with every other mutant agency._

_Yes, but they’ve had me and my visions.  Until now._

_You’ve stopped having visions?_

_No, but I intend to lie to Emma about what they contain.  Your new friend Erik has her all twisted up and worried.  But I know it will be fine._

_So you will help me by lying to her?_

_There is a future in which it can all be yours – Erik, the presidency, the school – everything you’ve wanted.  You look so happy in that future._

_A future?_

_Nothing is guaranteed, Charles._

_No, I suppose not, Ruth.  Thank you for warning me about the Hellfire Club._

_I should go now.  It was nice to finally speak to you._

_It was my pleasure, Ruth.  Be safe._

Charles removed the machine’s helmet, foregoing the rest of his intended scan to think about what he had learned.

The Hellfire Club was not unknown to him, though he was surprised that they had apparently taken such an active interest in his life.  He would need to have a talk with Miss Frost very soon.

++++++++++

“He spent the day with Charles yesterday,” Janos told Emma as she paced her office.

“Apparently subtle isn’t going to work. Go get Mr. Lehnsherr. It’s time he and I had a little talk,” she ordered and Azazel disappeared.

++++++++++

Erik had just picked up a morning paper and coffee when his path was blocked by two men he didn’t know – one a normal looking brunette with a bored expression, the other red-skinned, with black hair and a tail.  They stepped in front of him in a way that made it clear they were there for him whether he liked it or not.

“You really don’t want to bother me before I’ve even had my coffee,” he commented, but the red-skinned one ignored the warning and grasped his arm.

“The White Queen wants to see you,” the brunette said, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke before Erik could reply.

The smell of sulfur lingered in the air after the pair had deposited Erik in an office and left. The familiarity of the smell set Erik’s teeth on edge. A cool-blonde woman stared at him from across an ornate desk.

“Hello again, Mr. Lehnsherr.”

“Miss Frost.  I believe I have already made myself perfectly clear in my refusal to join your little club.”

“Oh yes, you’ve made your denials clear, but that isn’t why you’re here today.  Today I would like to speak with you about Charles Xavier,” Emma said.

Erik did his best to keep his mind blank, knowing that while Emma wasn’t as powerful as Charles, she was a formidable opponent.  He stared at her silently.

“You met Mr. Xavier approximately two weeks ago, and you have plans to see him again.  I am requesting that you cancel those plans and forget you ever met him,” she continued.

“Now you’re _requesting_? Last week you weren’t so polite,” Erik pointed out.

“We tried a different approach, which obviously didn’t work. I thought some time apart would make you lose interest before anything really began. I was wrong, so I’ve decided to be blunt about what I want,” she replied.

“Why do you care?” he asked, not bothering to ask her how she knew any of this.  A mutant like Emma Frost had connections everywhere.

“Charles Xavier is not just one of the most powerful mutants in the world, he is also one of the most influential.  He will likely be elected as president, which will put him in a position of command the likes of which our people have never seen.”

“And what does that have to do with me staying away from him?”

“Many world leaders of both races know of you.  They turn a blind eye because you limit your damage to those that would be labeled _bad men_.  But while they may ignore you if you keep to the shadows, they would never tolerate you being out in the open with someone as prominent as Xavier.”

“You think they would decide not to elect him if he had a relationship with me?” Erik asked.

“The common people, the ones voting, have no idea who you are.  But I think that the people who don’t want him in office would use you to crucify him in the media.”

She wasn’t telling him anything that he hadn’t already thought of himself over the last couple of weeks.  If he hadn’t been able to change his own mind about Charles, then this upstart mutant leader certainly wasn’t going to convince him of anything. His eyes were hard as he stared her down across her desk.

“I will only say this once, Miss Frost, so listen carefully.  Your former boss couldn’t control me, and you won’t either.  I will do as I please in regards to Charles Xavier, and you will keep your nose out of my business,” he told her.

“You know, I never harbored any ill-will towards you about Shaw.  I hated him almost as much as you and I was thrilled when you killed him.  But when it comes to moving my own plans forward, I will do anything in my power to accomplish my goals,” Emma warned.  Erik gave her a mocking bow and walked to the door.  He paused with his hand on the knob and turned back to her.

“You do your worst, White Queen, and we’ll see how well you measure up.”

++++++++++

Charles sighed when he saw Raven come around the corner with a determined expression on her face. He didn’t have to read her mind to know this was going to be another confrontation about Erik - she had made it clear since the night at the hotel that she thought this was the stupidest thing Charles had ever done.

“Really, Charles? You took him to the school? Why not just paint a big red target on the roof while you’re at it?” she snarled. Charles was a bit taken aback by her vehemence.

“Raven, he would never be a danger to the school. He has sent children to us in the past, so he understands what it means.”

“He’s a killer, Charles. Someone who has no compunction about taking another life!”

“Actually, he does. He would never harm an innocent if he has any control in the matter. He only kills those that deserve it,” Charles said.

“Oh? And who decides who deserves it? Him? The highest bidder?”

“That’s not fair, Raven. He has final say in his jobs, and he goes through extensive trouble to verify the information he receives.”

“That still makes him the judge, jury and executioner, which isn’t right!” she yelled.

“I trust his judgement of right and wrong more than most people that I work with every day,” Charles said. Raven opened her mouth for another retort and Charles held up his hands.

“Enough!” he yelled and Raven froze.

“I will not tolerate another word against Erik. I have seen enough of his mind to know that I can trust him, and you are just going to have to trust my judgement.” Raven sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Charles… this could destroy your presidential bid. Don’t you realize that?” she asked, cautiously resting a hand on his arm as a signal of truce.

“I have thought of that, yes. But I will not be swayed. Erik is unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and he makes me feel things that I had given up hoping were possible. I will not let him go unless he chooses to leave. I will have him and the presidency,” he paused and touched her cheek with his fingers, “Have you ever known me to not get what I want if I really put my mind to it?”

Raven shook her head and sighed again.

“No, I haven’t. You always find a way.”

“And so I will again,” he promised, then took her arm and led her down to lunch.

++++++++++

Erik couldn’t believe how nervous he was about going to dinner with Charles. When he had agreed, he thought they might dine somewhere private, one of their homes, but Charles had insisted on going out to a restaurant.

Charles was coming to pick him up, security in tow, unfortunately. He was fussing with his tie for the fifteenth time when his phone chirped. As he was picking it up, he felt the already-familiar brush of Charles against his mind.

_We’re here._

_Coming down._

Erik had voiced concerns about people seeing Charles at Erik’s home, and Charles had assured him that wouldn’t be a problem. Erik did not expect what awaited him when he stepped onto the sidewalk.

The city around him was frozen. Cars mid-turn at the light, a mother half-turned from taking a grocery bag out of her car, her child standing stock still beside her.  Erik’s stumbled slightly and paused, realizing just how quiet it was, as well. After a moment looking around, Erik slid into the backseat of Charles’ car and settled beside the telepath. They started moving, and about halfway up the block the world returned to normal.

Erik was stunned, though he tried to hide it. He had known Charles was powerful, more powerful than most mutants, but he hadn’t understood the depth of that power until now. And he doubted that he had truly seen the extent of it, even with this display.

“I’m sorry,” Charles said quietly, and Erik looked at him to find that he had shrunk away from Erik and was sliding across the seat to allow more space between them. Erik immediately grabbed him and pulled him back over until they were sitting with sides flush against each other. Erik hooked a fingertip under Charles’ chin and forced him to look Erik in the eyes.

“Never be ashamed of what you are. Never apologise for what you can do. You are magnificent, and awe-inspiring,” Erik told him, forceful in his determination to make Charles understand.

“I thought… you seemed so surprised. I thought I might have scared you,” Charles replied.

“I will never fear you, Charles. You did surprise me, but only because I didn’t truly realize just how strong you are.”

“You’re as strong as I am, you know,” Charles said. Erik shook his head.

“In brute strength, maybe, but I don’t have your level of control.” Erik pressed a finger to Charles’ lips to silence him when he tried to speak again.

“I really want to kiss you, Charles. I’m not sure you understand just how… impressed I was by that display,” Erik said as he grabbed one of Charles’ hands and placed it over his crotch, to the obvious outline of his cock as it hardened. Charles’ eyes widened and he grinned, wicked and sly.

“Hmmm, if that impressed you, wait until you see some of my other tricks,” he said as he grasped the back of Erik’s neck and closed the distance between them.

The kiss was hungry and messy, and if Darwin hadn’t cleared his throat Erik would have pulled Charles into his lap and fucked him right there in the backseat. As it was, they broke apart when Alex told them they were pulling up to the restaurant.

“Should I circle the block, Charles, and give you guys a moment to, uh… collect yourselves?” Darwin asked with a smirk. Charles look at Erik, noting the way he still hadn’t caught his breath and his eyes still blazed.

“Yes, I think a few minutes would be a good idea,” Charles replied with a light chuckle.

_I can help you calm faster, if you’ll let me._

_How?_

_A simple touch to your thoughts._

_Showing off your skills isn’t going to help me calm down - that’s what got me in this shape to begin with._

Charles grinned and flashed him an apologetic glance.

_It will help, I promise._

_Okay then._

Erik could feel Charles push through into the outer layers of his thoughts. He wasn’t sure exactly what Charles was doing, but he suddenly felt a wave of relaxation flood his limbs and he almost melted into the seat. His breathing evened out and his eyes drooped shut for a moment. When he opened them again, his heart was beating smoothly and his arousal was only a dim burning in the back of his mind.

_I didn’t remove anything, I only pushed those thoughts back and brought simpler, calmer emotions to the foreground._

Erik picked up Charles’ hand and pressed a kiss to the underside of his wrist.

_Well, as least now we won’t make a spectacle of ourselves when we enter the restaurant._

They exited the car and as they entered the restaurant, Charles reached over and took his hand.

_Are you sure you want to do that? People here may recognize you._

_And I have nothing to hide from them._

Erik couldn't help but return the smile Charles gave him when he sent the thought. Whispers followed them through the room as a waiter led them to their table. Alex and Darwin were seated at another table close by.

Dinner was a simple, pleasant affair. Erik was able to ignore the other diners and their openly curious stares and conversations because Charles was… captivating.

Erik had never been with someone so optimistic, caring, so open to what life brought him. Charles was like a magnet… like a sun that the other planets couldn’t help but revolve around. It was no wonder that he had risen to political fame so fast.

More eyes were on him than the food. When he smiled, grins appeared around the room. When he laughed, people flushed with joy even though they didn’t know why.

It was all Erik could do not to growl at every person in the fucking room, to tell them to back off because Charles was...

 _Mine!_ he thought fiercely, without realizing that he had projected the thought. Charles stopped speaking mid-sentence and stared at Erik, the blue of his eyes lost as his gaze darkened with want.

_Erik, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I won’t be held responsible for my actions._

Erik’s eyes narrowed and he smirked at Charles.

_What would you do?_

_At the moment, I’m feeling very inclined to drape myself naked across this table and let you mark me as yours in front of everyone, and fuck the consequences._

Erik laughter was sharp and pleased.

_Oh, Charles - I knew there was more to you than cardigans and tweed._

_You have no idea._

_I will, though._

Erik projected an image of Charles, naked and writhing as he rode Erik’s cock while Erik’s fingers left bruises on Charles’ hips.

Charles shuddered in his seat, his eyes glassy as he tried to catch his breath from the onslaught of arousal that poured through him. Even Charles’ telepathic voice was strangled as he fought for control.

_We need to leave… now._

Erik motioned the waiter over, and by the time Charles had finally gotten his breathing back under control, the check had been paid and Darwin and Alex were in place to walk them out. They rose, Erik moving to stand in front of Charles in an attempt to shield him from the other patrons. Between his flushed cheeks, his unfocused eyes and the noticeable bulge in his pants, no one that got a clear view of him would have any doubt what was going on.

They had almost made it to the door when a man came running in, shouting.

The first thing Erik noticed was the gun.

The second thing Erik noticed was that the man was looking past him… right at Charles.

Metal was singing to him from all around the room, and he reached for it without a moment’s hesitation. Time seemed to slow as silverware, knives from the kitchen, candelabras… anything that felt more substantial than jewelry was pulled to him and became a deadly swirling vortex that flashed silver and steel as it surrounded he and Charles.

Rage had settled like a cloak on Erik’s skin, and he burned with the need send his weapons flying. Erik knew if the man fired, he could stop the bullet. If the man fired, Erik would kill him. If he was smart and ran, Erik might only maim him.

He only barely registered that the other diners had scattered to the far edges of the room, as far from him as they could get.

Darwin and Alex had flanked Charles, staying out of reach of the whirlwind Erik had created.

It felt like they had been standing there for hours, though it had been only a minute. Erik felt a light touch to his arm, and heard Charles’ voice whisper against his ear.

“Calm your mind, Erik. You can let go. He can’t touch me.”

The metal froze in mid-spin as Erik flicked a quick glance back at Charles, then looked at the man with the gun. He realized that the man was frozen, like the others on the street earlier, with the exception of his eyes. His eyes were swiveling frantically as he looked around the room, as though he could find an escape even though he had no control of his own limbs.

He released the metal and it all fell to the ground with a loud clattering noise. Darwin and Alex rushed past them to handcuff the intruder, then called the police.

Erik stood frozen to the spot, his hands clenched in fists, his chin tucked to his chest and he fought to calm the fury still boiling his blood. He felt Charles’ hand slide further up his arm to wrap around his nape as Charles moved to stand in front of him.

“Can I help?” Charles asked quietly. Erik gave a quick shake of his head.

“No… no… I need… I need to get out of here,” Erik replied, his voice brittle with anger. He pushed past Charles, past the would be shooter, and out into the cool night air. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and yanked it off his arms as he made his way to an alley by the building. He ducked into the darkness and threw his jacket on the ground, then began rolling up his sleeves with short, jerky movements. He ripped his tie off, vaguely realizing that he would probably have a bruise on his neck from the temporary resistance of the fabric. He unbuttoned his top two buttons and took a deep breath as the air chilled his overheated skin.

He used his power to pick up a random piece of metal from the ground and form it into a ball. He flung the ball as hard as he could against the ground, catching it on the way back up. He did this repeatedly, rhythmically, settling his breathing into a regular pattern to match the movements.

It was several minutes before he could feel that he had finally started to calm down. He was still angry, and he knew he needed to stay outside until Charles had finished dealing with the police, because of he saw the man again…

He had threatened Charles. **No one** who had threatened Charles could be allowed to live. He could feel his rage twisting inside him again. He spun on his heel to go back, to finish off what he had started, but stopped short when he saw Charles leaning against the wall, watching him, Erik’s jacket draped over his arm.

Erik strode forward and pressed Charles into the wall, his mouth on Charles’ before he’d even registered that he had moved.

The kiss was demanding and almost brutal in its intensity. A small voice in his mind warned him that he should back off, that he didn’t want to frighten away this wonder he had found. Then he realized that Charles was being just as forceful, and he could feel the anger pulsing through Charles’ thoughts as they bled over into him.

He pulled back with a gasp for air and tasted copper in his mouth. He touched his lip with his fingertips and they came away red, a red to match the smear on Charles’ mouth. He felt the tingling in his lower lip and realized the blood was his.

_You bit me._

Charles’ reply was accompanied by an apologetic brush of his hand to Erik’s cheek.

_Sorry, I got a bit carried away._

Erik let his forehead rest against Charles’ and they just breathed for several minutes.

“I should go,” he finally whispered.

“I’ll get Darwin and Alex to bring the car,” Charles said.  Erik stepped away and shook his head.

“I’ll walk. You go home. You’ll be safer.”

“I really don’t think you should be alone tonight, Erik,” Charles argued.

“Anger makes me stronger, but I don’t have the control you do. I’m at my most dangerous when I’m like this.”

“And I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be.”

“Never, my friend.”

Erik sighed, frustrated, and scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Fine, but we go to my place. I’m more… at ease there.”

“Of course. I’ll have Darwin and Alex drop us off,” Charles agreed.

“Will they let you do that? Leave you alone after what happened?”

“I won’t be alone, I’ll be with you. And I think it’s safe to say that after that display of protectiveness, they would trust you in a heartbeat to make sure nothing happened to me,” Charles explained with a light smile.

“It was you that stopped him,” Erik reminded him, “I don’t think you really needed me.”

“You’re so wrong, Erik. I stopped him, yes. But I was only able to stop him because you reacted so swiftly, and so strongly, that he second-guessed himself. It gave me time. You recognized the threat before I did,” Charles replied.

The car pulled up to the end of the alley and they climbed in quickly. They were silent on the ride back to Erik’s, and Charles was proven right when Darwin and Alex only put up a token resistance to the idea of Charles staying without them. When they got out of the car, Alex reached out a hand like he was going to grab Erik’s arm. He seemed to think better of it at the last moment and let his hand drop. Erik knew he wanted to say something, so he waited.

“You’re all right, man. We weren’t sure about you, with the Professor and all, but tonight, that was… Well, Darwin and I just wanted to say thanks, and that if you ever need anything that we can help with, just say the word,” Alex finally said. Erik nodded, and after a moment held out his hand for Alex to shake. Alex took it with a grin, then waited until Erik and Charles were inside the building before he got back in beside Darwin and they drove away.

Erik opened the door to his condo and stood aside to let Charles enter first. It was only a step above spartan - Erik had never been one for frills and excess - but it was modern, and in the daytime, bright with sunlight. Charles turned to smile encouragingly, as though he could feel Erik’s hesitation.

“I think we could both do with a strong drink, a hot shower and then bed,” Charles suggested and Erik agreed gratefully. He poured them both a double Scotch, and after handing one to Charles, Erik turned to stare out the window. He sipped his drink, trying to block the evening from his mind so that the anger wouldn’t reawaken. He felt Charles’ presence at his elbow, but he didn’t turn until he had finished his drink. Charles took his glass and set it aside, then pulled him towards the bedroom.

“I’ll start the water, if you wouldn’t mind finding something I could sleep in,” Charles said and nudged Erik into the room. He heard the shower start as he pulled a t-shirt and soft pajama pants from a drawer. He handed them to Charles and paused, feeling like he needed to say something, but not sure what.

_You don’t have to speak, Erik. Go take a shower and then lay down. I’ll take a quick one after you and then join you in bed._

Erik did as Charles suggested, and he was slowly relaxing into the mattress when Charles came out of the bathroom. His hair curled around his forehead, the shirt stuck to damp spots on his chest and the pants were too long for him - Erik had never seen anything that looked better. He lifted the covers and Charles slid in beside him, his head propped up on his hand.

“Rest, Erik. Anything that needs to be said can wait until morning.”

Erik felt Charles press a kiss to his shoulder as his eyes slipped closed, exhaustion flowing in to fill the void left by his receding anger.

++++++++++

Charles consciousness rose slowly to awareness of… something being wrong in the room. He blinked several times, not recognizing the room at first. Then the previous night came back in a rush, and he squinted into the darkness, trying to place what had woken him. He reached over and turned on the bedside lamp and sat up with a gasp.

Metal objects floated and spun in the air, slow movements as though they drifted on wind currents. They surrounded the bed like a shield, a wall to block anything unwanted from getting through.

He looked over at Erik and realized that he was grimacing and twitching in his sleep, clutched in the grasp of what was probably a nightmare. Charles looked at the metal objects again, and when Erik’s body shuddered with a spasm and he cried out as if in pain, several of the items rocketed to the wall, barely missing Charles.

He stretched out alongside Erik, pressing as close as he could, his lips on Erik’s ear.

“Shhh, my friend. Whatever it is, you can let go. Nothing here is a danger to you,” he whispered to Erik while surrounding Erik’s mind with a warm contented feeling.

Erik’s shivers slowly began to subside, and the lines in his face smoothed. All at once the objects dropped to the floor and Erik woke with a start, bolting upright so fast he almost hit Charles. He looked at the mess of tangled metal on the floor, then turned to Charles, his gaze raking over him and panic in his eyes.

“I’m fine, Erik.”

“I could have hurt you. I could have killed you. I told you it wouldn’t be safe!”

“I wasn’t in danger.”

Erik glared at him and then looked pointedly over Charles’ shoulder to where some of the objects were still embedded in the wall.

“I’m fine,” Charles said again and took Erik’s hand. Erik took several deep breaths before dropping back to his pillow.

“You know, I think I could help you with your control, and your powers,” Charles said after a moment, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of Erik’s hand.

“My control is good enough, it’s fine,” Erik replied.

“But I believe it could be great.”

“How?”

“You said that your rage fuels your powers.” Erik nodded in agreement and Charles continued, “I believe that true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity. If you could let me in, for a moment…”

Charles touched his fingers to Erik’s temple. Erik considered his request and finally nodded.

It was like watching flashes of home movies, his memories as they floated by. Charles’ face was suffused with delight as he sifted through Erik’s mind. The flashes of memory slowed and Charles’ expression softened as he settled on a particular memory.

_His mother… him lighting the candles..._

Erik felt dampness on his cheeks and reached up to brush it away.

“Tears… What did you just do to me?” he asked.

“I accessed the brightest memory I could find,” Charles explained.

“I didn’t know I still had that.”

“There is so much more to you than you know. Not just pain and anger. There is good, too. I’ve felt it. When you can access all of that, you will possess a power no one can match. Not even me,” Charles said fervently. Erik gripped his hand and pulled Charles down beside him.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he tucked Charles back into his side. Already he felt more balanced, more settled, than he had in a long time. He kissed the top of Charles’ head and let his eyes close again.

++++++++++

Erik smiled as he slipped on his coat to go to the grocery store. Charles had left in the early morning hours, to avoid as many of the neighbors as possible, but he had kissed Erik goodbye and made him promise to come to Charles’ house for dinner that night.

He was only marginally paying attention to his surroundings, thinking about how warm Charles had been to wake up next to, so he didn’t immediately notice the tell-tale scent of sulfur in the air until a red hand closed over his arm. In a blink he had left behind his street in New York and found himself in the middle of nowhere, and the red fellow disappeared as soon as he released Erik’s arm.

“That’s just cheating!” he yelled to no one.  Erik looked around… it was nighttime, it was cold, and luckily the moon was full, because he could tell he was on a hill or mountain because of the terrain. He was thankful that he had put on jeans and comfortable shoes when he’d gotten dressed that morning. As he walked, he decided to pass the time by listing all the ways he could destroy Emma Frost and her wanna-be soldiers.

Erik had finished mentally detailing option ninety-eight when he spotted the first signs of civilization. He checked his watch and found that he had been walking for almost six hours. It was two in the afternoon back in New York. He wasn’t sure what the local time was, but the sun was coming up here, so he had a good idea of what part of the world he was in, likely somewhere in the South Pacific.

He kept walking and finally reached the buildings he had spotted in the distance. He saw a sign by the road that said **Welcome to Glentunnel**. He walked along the sidewalk until he came to a general store, which appeared to be the largest business in the small town. He walked in and selected water and snacks, then took them to the counter. The clerk greeted him with a smile, which he returned as he paid for his items.

“I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a tight spot - I’ve managed to get myself lost without a car. Can you tell me what the nearest large town is?” he asked as the clerk bagged his food.

“Well, Christchurch is about an hour away by road. Doesn’t get any bigger than that here on the South Island,” the clerk replied.

Christchurch… South Island… he sorted through his memory of geography and realized that they had dumped him in New Zealand.

“Do you know of anyone who’d like to make some cash for driving me there?” Erik asked. The clerk scratched his beard and thought.

“I think a couple of the boys were headed in that way today to pick up a few things. Let me check with them, see if they would be willing.”

Erik nodded and moved to look out the front window while the clerk was on the phone. After a few minutes, the man walked over to him.

“They’d be happy to do it, as long as you don’t mind riding in the back of their truck,” he offered.

“That works for me. Thanks for the help,” Erik said. He walked across the street to the bank and pulled out some local currency. By the time he walked back, the truck was idling at the curb, waiting for him. He hopped in and cracked open a bottle of water as the truck took off down the road.

An hour later he was standing in the business district of Christchurch. He’d paid the men for the lift, more than he needed to, really, but how do you explain the situation to make it clear how much they helped him? Eventually they accepted that he wasn’t going to pay them a penny less and they went on their way. He pulled out his cellphone, thankful to see that there was still enough charge to make a call.

“Erik… I didn’t expect to hear from you until later,” Charles greeted him.

“Yes, well, something has come up. I won’t be able to make it to dinner.”

“Oh? Is something wrong?”

Erik laughed, but the sound was without humor.

“I’m in New Zealand.”

There was a long pause from the other end.

“I don’t understand. I just saw you a few hours ago. How on earth did you get to New Zealand?” Charles finally asked.

“It is a very long story that I will gladly share when I get back. But right now I need to buy some clothes and find a hotel so I can sleep for a few hours before trying to find my way back. I had to make a six hour unplanned mountain hike and I’m exhausted,” Erik told him.

“It will take you another day or more to get back.”

“I’m guessing two days, when it is all said and done. I’ll call you as soon as I’m in New York.”

“Be careful, Erik.”

Erik disconnected the call and went about the errands he needed to do, then checked into a hotel to shower and nap. He was only somewhat refreshed when he woke, so when he was finally back in New York after five hours of train ride, four hours of ferry ride and twenty-four hours in the air over the course of three flights later, all he really wanted to do was fall into his bed and sleep for days.

He settled for a few hours nap when he got home, then showered and packed a fresh overnight bag. He made the drive to the mansion in record time. He knew he must look a horrible despite his nap, with his eyes still gritty from lack of sleep and his whole body aching with the need to collapse. Charles greeted him with a smile and a quick kiss, which revived Erik’s spirits somewhat. Charles led him inside to his study, and wasted no time in asking Erik to tell him about New Zealand. Erik shrugged and sighed.

“Are you familiar with the Hellfire Club?” he asked Charles.

“I am. Shaw used it as a front for various things. Emma Frost took it over after his death.”

“Well, Miss Frost has taken it upon herself to try to keep us apart,” Erik said. Charles nodded, his expression tight with displeasure.

“I knew she was trying to manipulate things, but I didn’t realize how far she had taken it,” Charles said.

“They’ve gone so far as to hire me for false jobs in other countries, taking things like my passports that would keep me from traveling… taking me to New Zealand for unplanned nature outings,” Erik said and Charles stared at him with a building anger in his gaze.

“They teleported you, didn’t they? She has a man, Azazel, he’s a teleporter.”

“Ah, that must be my red friend,” Erik said. Charles pushed himself up from his chair and began pacing. Erik had never seen him look so agitated.

“I was warned that she had taken a particular interest in us, but to go this far,” he said, his voice rising with his fury that she had done something that could have endangered Erik. Erik grabbed Charles’ hand to stop him.

“She’s not important,” Erik tried to reason, and he was a bit taken aback when Charles turned to him, his eyes ablaze with fury.

“She has no right to interfere. No one does. You’re _mine_. You’ve been mine since the moment I scanned you in the bathroom!” Charles slammed his hand down on the side table, his body vibrating with emotion.

“And they can’t change that, Charles, only the two of us can do anything about that,” Erik said as soothingly as he could. Charles took a few deep breaths and then pulled Erik to his feet.

“Come with me. I need to use Cerebro,” he said and Erik followed without a word, though he had no idea what Charles was talking about. They made their way to the basement, to the lab under the school. Charles greeted other students and scientists by name as they went, but Erik paid them no mind.

The lab made Erik uneasy, even though logically he knew there was nothing to fear. He had too many memories associated with places like this, when Shaw had held him captive. Hospitals, labs, clinics - they all made his skin crawl.

He watched as Charles spoke with a young male mutant covered in blue fur. He caught the name ‘Hank’ but was more interested in watching Charles as he sat down and put a metal helmet on his head that was attached to a large machine by several cables.

“What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles,” he said, half joking.

“This is an important piece of my work, Erik.”

“I’m sure it is, but I’ve been a lab rat, so I know one when I see one,” Erik replied. Charles flashed him a sympathetic smile and closed his eyes. Erik watched him, waiting, while Charles was silent. After several minutes, Charles removed the helmet and stood.

“Ruth confirmed that despite not sharing her visions with Miss Frost, it is still the official view of the Hellfire Club that we should be separated. I’m afraid we’re going to have to have a conversation with them very soon,” Charles said.

“Ruth?” Erik wondered aloud.

“Yes, a… friend on the inside, as it were. I’ll tell you about it on the way. We’re going to my house tonight so that we can eat and I can make sure you get some more rest.”

Erik cocked a brow at Charles, who flushed slightly and looked sheepish.

_I’m afraid that I can’t bear the thought of letting you out of my sight just yet._

_I’m not complaining._

_Then let’s not tarry._

++++++++++

During the drive to Charles’ house in the city, and through dinner, they had discussed Ruth and the Hellfire Club. Charles also filled him in on the fact that someone had gotten a video during the restaurant incident and had sold it to the news outlets. It had since gone viral and speculation was running rampant about who Erik was and why he was with Charles. After dinner they had settled in Charles’ study, once again separated by a chess board.

“It was likely the video that prompted them to try to make me disappear for a while. That many people wondering who I am, my face on television… it’s exactly what she was trying to avoid,” Erik said.

“It would have happened anyway. I have no intentions of keeping you a secret. In fact, I was planning to invite you to a dinner with me next week, a political function that I have to attend as part of my start to the campaign trail.”

Erik was quiet for several minutes, studying the board and thinking over what Charles had said. He moved a bishop and then sat back in his chair.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Charles? Aren’t there enough marks against you that you’re mutant and gay? Do you really want to throw me and my past in the mix, too?”

Charles took his time making his next move and then looked up to meet Erik’s gaze.

“It’s inevitable. Not to sound like some sappy romantic movie, but I believe we were destined for each other. I’ve never met another mutant with anywhere near the level of power that you and I have, who needs the level of control that we do. We’re too much alike, you and I… and I don’t think anyone else in the world could even handle either of us,” Charles replied.

“People who know who I am will see us together and be afraid. They’ll think that I’m your new weapon, and some of them will wonder when you’ll be pointing me in their direction.”

“Then we will find a new purpose for you, something to show the world that you aren’t just the shadows they fear,” Charles said.

“A new purpose?”

“Something that allows you to work by my side, in the open. Something that will, maybe, help bring you a little peace after everything you’ve been through,” Charles explained.

“I never really considered peace an option. My anger has always driven me,” Erik replied.

“You know you’re more than that. Shaw knew you were more than that, which is why he twisted you the way he did, to try to keep your power under his thumb. But you beat him, and you can beat anything that comes your way,” Charles paused and looked down at the board, moved a knight and looked up at Erik with a smile, “Check.”

Erik studied the board, thinking over Charles’ conviction that Erik could be more than just a vigilante, more than just an experiment, more than Frankenstein’s monster. He glanced up to find Charles watching him with a gentleness to the quirk of his lips, and Erik felt himself falling into the softness in Charles’ eyes.

For Charles, Erik would be whatever he had to be. To be with Charles, Erik could, and would, do anything. He reached out and tipped his king over in surrender, and wondered if Charles would understand the double meaning behind the simple gesture. If the way Charles’ lips formed a silent _Oh_ and the way his body trembled was any indication, then he did.

Erik stood and pulled Charles to his feet, his fingers wrapped loosely around Charles’ wrists as he lowered his head the few inches it took to kiss Charles, soft and lingering.

“I think it’s time I take you to bed now, Charles.”

“Yes, I believe we are overdue for that,” Charles replied and practically dragged Erik through down the hall to his bedroom.

Charles locked the door behind them, then mumbled something about the bathroom. Erik walked over to a stained glass window and was admiring the colors when he realized he could feel metal calling to him from it. He ran a fingertip down the middle of a section of blue - _blue like Charles’ eyes_ \- and watched as the glass flexed minutely in an attempt to follow his finger’s path.

“The blue has iron oxide in it,” Charles said behind him.

“No metal shielding in the walls this time?” Erik asked as he turned, and Charles shook his head.

“Is there anything metal in here that is valuable to you? If so, you might want to move it, just in case,” Erik continued.

“You could bring the whole building down around the bed, for all I care, as long as you’re inside me when you do it,” Charles replied, and Erik could almost see the desire rolling off him like heat waves.

“Fuck, Charles…” Erik muttered as he crossed the gap between them.

“That was the idea,” Charles quipped with a mischievous grin that fell away in a gasp of surprise when Erik pushed him against the nearest wall and bit down hard on Charles’ shoulder.

“You waste no time getting to the point,” Charles whispered through a stutter of breath.

“You’re still talking,” Erik replied. Charles grabbed his shoulders for support and tilted his head to the side to give Erik access to his neck while Erik made short work of the buttons on Charles’ shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

“I guess you’ll have to shut me… up… _oh_ …” his voice trailed off as Erik reached a hand between them and ground his palm against Charles’ erection.

“Already hard for me, Charles? I’ve only just started, you know,” Erik said as he wedged a thigh between Charles’ and pressed him harder against the wall. Charles let out a whine and pushed down against Erik’s muscular leg, trying to gain some friction.

“Well... you have... kept me waiting… for weeks now... you know,” Charles muttered between nibbles to Erik’s jaw, his hands clenched in the fabric of Erik’s shirt. Erik pinched one of Charles’ nipples and felt the tremor run through his frame.

“I know, I know. Don’t worry, it will be worth it, I promise,” Erik whispered as he unfastened Charles’ pants and pushed them down his hips. He spun them both and pushed Charles onto the bed. He quickly stripped Charles of the rest of his clothing, then stopped to admire Charles sprawled on the bed. His face and neck were flushed, the tinge of pink fading down to his chest. His cock was hard against his stomach. His eyes… his eyes were flashing, burning straight into Erik.

Erik stripped quickly and stretched himself out beside Charles, propped up on one elbow to look down at him.

“You‘re going to put your hands up there and grab the headboard, and you’re going to keep them there until I say you can move them,” Erik said softly, then leaned over to suck and bite at one of Charles’ nipples. Charles arched under him, a moan echoing through the room.

“And if I don’t?” Charles panted.

“Then I’ll use my powers to make you,” Erik threatened, but judging by the way Charles’ expression darkened further from desire, Erik wasn’t sure that was really a threat. That was something he was going to have to file away for later. Right now he wasn’t sure his control would hold through fucking Charles for the first time, and he didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting him.

Charles must have sensed his thoughts on some level, because he grabbed the headboard and gave Erik a small nod. Erik smiled, pleased, and leaned in to kiss Charles. There was a hint of Scotch lingering in Charles’ mouth, and Erik proceeded to lick the taste from him, tongue tangling relentlessly with Charles’ until the telepath was gasping for breath, his lips plumped and reddened.

Erik reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of lube that he had seen Charles place there earlier. He poured some on his fingers and made sure they were slick, then trailed his fingers along Charles’ hip, past his cock and down to his ass. He kissed and licked a trail down Charles’ chest and across his stomach as he circled one finger lightly against Charles’ entrance.

He glanced up at Charles with a decidedly wicked grin, and then in one smooth movement, swallowed down Charles’ cock, burying his nose in the curls around it as he slipped the first finger inside Charles.

Charles almost lifted off the bed, his cry echoing through the room. It was only Erik’s weight that kept him pinned in place, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath and hold off coming embarrassingly quickly.

“Erik, I won’t last…”  Erik pulled off Charles’ cock and smiled at him as he twisted the finger deeper inside Charles.

“If you come now, then I’ll just have to work a little harder to make sure you come again with me later,” Erik said and Charles squeezed his eyes closed at the thought and wrapped his fingers tighter around the bars of the headboard. Erik decided to take pity on him, and shifted his attention away from his cock, leaning up to kiss him again.

He licked his way easily into Charles’ mouth as he slipped a second finger inside Charles’ ass. He was a little surprised at the ease that he was having stretching him. He grinned as a thought came to him, and he nipped Charles’ lips to draw another of his breathy moans.

“Charles… have you been stretching yourself for me?” he asked and Charles’ blush deepened.

_Oh… definitely so much more than cardigans and tweed - did you use your fingers or a toy?_

_I’ve been sleeping with a plug in… well, I don’t know if sleeping is really the word for it._

_I’m going to fuck you now, Charles._

_If you don’t, I have no problem begging._

_We’ll save that for next time._

Erik removed his fingers and poured more lube over his aching cock. He had wanted to take his time, slowly bring Charles to the brink multiple times, but the thought of Charles squirming in bed at night with a butt plug in, his hole quivering around it…

Erik folded Charles’s legs back against his chest, pressing his ass open and Erik tried, he really tried to press in gently, but Charles reached up and grabbed Erik’s arms, his fingers digging into the muscles.

“If you don’t get that cock inside me right now I will murder you.” Charles’ voice was rough with need, his teeth clenched as he wiggled restlessly, trying to somehow pull Erik into him.

“I didn’t tell you that you could move your hands.”

“You can punish me later... right now just fuck me.”

“Yes… yes…” Erik muttered and _thrust_.

Even with extended preparation, Erik was sure he had hurt Charles, but rather than noises of discomfort, Charles was uttering moans of such raw want and pleasure that Erik almost came from just the sound and the heat of Charles surrounding his cock.

_Move, you bastard!_

Erik set a pace that held no finesse, the room filled with the sound of skin on skin as he pulled most of the way out and thrust fully back in, over and over again. His fingers were wrapped around Charles’ hips hard enough to leave bruises. Charles’ heels were digging into the back of Erik’s neck and he was using the leverage to push his hips down to meet each thrust. Charles’ fingers were wrapped around the headboard again, this time holding on like it was a lifeline.

_Erik, I need…_

_Yes, I’ve got you._

Erik wrapped a still lubed hand around Charles’s cock and jacked him in time to the thrusts. It only took a few slip-slides of Erik’s palm and Charles let out a groan and ejaculated across Erik’s hand, all over his own stomach and onto his chest.

Erik returned his hand to Charles’ hip, lifted him higher to shift the angle and pistoned his hips, his thrusts becoming erratic as he neared climax. His eyes met Charles and he thought _so very blue…_

Charles squeezed down against Erik’s cock and his orgasm was ripped from him, the extra pressure like a vice. Erik shouted, the sound lost in a loud shattering noise. He fell forward on Charles, his hips still moving, thrusting through, until they finally slowed and stopped. He let Charles’ legs slide from his shoulders to wrap around his waist, his softening cock still buried inside Charles. His forehead was pressed against Charles’ shoulder, his fingers still dug deep into Charles’ hips. Charles was rubbing his hands soothingly up and down Erik’s back.

Erik was still trying to catch his breath when he heard shouts and the sound of running footsteps in the hall coming towards the room. Without thinking, he reached a hand out towards the door and clenched his fingers into a fist, crushing the doorknob and lock so that no one could come in. He heard someone pounding on the door, calling to Charles.

_I’M FINE!_

Charles’ telepathic voice held a tinge of desperation, and echoed too loudly through Erik’s skull. He winced and dropped to Charles’ side, stretched out next to him, still gasping slightly for air.

_No, really, I’m fine. No one is to enter this room._

Alex and Darwin must have realized what Charles was hinting at, because they moved away from the door as quickly as they had arrived.

“I feel like that didn’t quite go as planned. I believe I promised to take you apart when we finally had sex,” Erik said.

“Erik… you’ve been taking me apart piece by piece since the first time our eyes met. I think I’d had all the foreplay I could handle this time around,” Charles countered, and Erik couldn’t fight the smug smile that stretched his lips.

When he finally caught his breath, he looked around the room and realized that the blue section from the stained glass window was now lying in pieces on the floor.

“I’ll get that fixed for you,” he told Charles, pointing to the window. Charles laughed and rolled to rest his head on Erik’s shoulder.

“Let’s pick a color other than blue next time, so that we don’t have to keep repairing it,” he replied.

Erik wanted nothing more than to fall asleep wrapped around Charles, but he knew they needed to clean up. He dragged a reluctant and boneless Charles from the bed and into the shower. They took their time under the warm water, kissing lazily as they washed each other off. Charles was just beginning to get hard again when they were done, but he pushed Erik’s hand away.

“Still sensitive. We’ll have another go after some rest,” he muttered and Erik could see his eyes drifting closed. He got them both dried off and under the covers, the soiled quilt replaced with a fresh one from the closet. Charles curled as close into Erik’s side as he could and pressed a kiss to the side of Erik’s neck.

_Love you…_

Erik smiled at the soft mental confession and pressed a kiss to Charles’ forehead.

_Love you, too…_

++++++++++

Erik was driving home from Charles’ house, feeling ridiculously relaxed and happy. It was a foreign feeling, something he hadn’t experienced since he was younger.

He only vaguely realized that the car wasn’t handling the way it usually did, like there was a high wind buffeting it, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky or any forecast of a storm on the radio. He gripped the wheel with both hands as the car suddenly shuddered and slipped sideways on the road. He caught a glimpse of a man standing in the field beside the road and then the car was airborne, Erik pressed against the door as wind flung the car out into a field.

Erik pushed against the metal around him, and it was just enough to keep the car from crumpling around him on impact, though it couldn’t keep his head from banging against the window and breaking it. As he crawled from the wreckage, he felt the warmth of blood trickling down the side of his face. He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs so he could see clearly as he stood. A dark-haired man - Frost’s other lackey, Janos, he remembered - walked across the grass to him.  Erik took a few steps forward, his legs holding steady through sheer will.

Erik drew a large piece of the car to him, pulling it apart in midair and holding it hovering, ready to strike out. Janos stopped and watched him warily. Erik smiled, all teeth, the expression sharp and predatory.

“Come on then, if you dare,” he taunted. Janos’ expression unexpectedly relaxed and Erik had only a moment to think _teleporter, fuck_ before he felt the jab of something sharp to the side of his neck.

_Charles!_

The world quickly went dark.

++++++++++

Charles had just filled a cup with tea when he heard the mental shout. The cup slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor as he doubled over at the wash of pain that accompanied Erik’s call. Alex came running into the kitchen to check the noise and helped Charles to a chair.

“Erik… it’s Erik…” Charles muttered, and rage bloomed heavy in his chest.

++++++++++

Erik woke up in a cell - or some semblance of waking. His head was fuzzy and everything was muffled, his vision dull and muddy at the edges. They’d drugged him, likely in an attempt to mute his powers. He reached for the cell bars and could only manage the slightest wiggle of the metal before a searing pain short through his skull.

 _Charles will find me_ he thought before he passed out again.

When he woke the second time, his head was more clear. He hoped that meant the drugs were wearing off. He checked his watch and found that he had been prisoner for almost a day. He tested his powers against the cell door again, this time earning a loud groan of metal bending for his efforts. He wasn’t at full strength, but he had his powers and he wasn’t experiencing the residual pain in his head.

He slowly worked at the door, weakening the bars in preparation of one large push to tear them away. He stopped every few minutes to listen, to see if anything was coming to investigate the noises… or redose him with the drugs.

He finally wore the bars down enough, took a deep breath, and shoved against the door as hard as he could with his powers. The door flew across the hall and banged to the floor, the sound echoing against the concrete surrounding him.  He got to his feet and managed to make it down the hall. He had just opened the door at the end to check for guards when he saw Charles walk around the corner, followed by Sean, Alex, and Raven.

“Erik!” Charles rushed to him, bracketing his face with his hands and kissing him desperately. “I heard you, heard you call. I knew they must be behind it.”

Erik let his forehead rest against Charles’, just breathing in his scent for a moment to steady himself. He heard a noise in the hall behind them and spun around - too quickly, and it set his head swimming again. Charles steadied him, then moved in front of Erik to confront Emma, who was standing there in her diamond form with Azazel and Janos flanking her.

“I should have known you would come for him. Both of you are entirely too dense to understand what is going on here,” she said to Charles. Erik’s hands clenched in fists, but Charles reached back and placed a hand on his arm.

“You have no right to interfere in my life,” Charles told her firmly.

“Sugar, I’ve been interfering in your life for years,” Emma boasted. Charles laughed and confusion briefly flickered across Emma’s expression.

“Let me guess. You think that you’ve somehow had a hand in my career? That I owe you because you got me to where I am today?” he said, and Erik heard Raven snicker behind them.

“Well, of course,” Emma spat out.

“Wrong.” Charles straightened and somehow seemed to suddenly fill the hall, his presence larger than life in an instant. “You have had nothing to do with my life. I’ve known about you for a long time, Miss Frost. I’ve let you play with your power because nothing you did went against my goals. I’ve let you style yourself as this White Queen character because it didn’t hurt anything for you to do so.”

“You let me…” Emma began angrily, but Charles cut her off with a look.

“No more!” Charles lashed out, and both Azazel and Janos collapsed to the floor. Emma couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes, but she remained still.

“Yes, I’ve let you. Do you really think your power is a match for mine? You can’t even shield your men from me,” he said, and pointed to her unconscious lackeys, “I could have taken this group down years ago, when you first took over from Shaw, but I let it be. I only did that because we seemed to have some common goals. But no longer. You dared to attack Erik. You dared to try your hand at manipulating my life, and Erik’s life.”

Charles advanced on Emma, who to her credit stood her ground.

“Know this, _White Queen_ ,” Charles said with a sneer, “If you ever try to interfere in my life again, in anyway, I will end you.”

“Can’t you see what being with him will do to your political career,” she tried to reason with him, and she couldn't hide the tremor in her hands.

“That is none of your concern. The only thing you need to worry about is the fact that I will bring this world crashing to its knees before I let someone take him from me, and all you would be able to do is pray that you aren’t in the middle of the storm when I do it,” Charles told her. Erik felt a fierce rush of pride at Charles declaration. Charles turned and walked away from Emma, but paused when he reached Erik’s side.

“Oh…” he said as he looked over his shoulder at her, “and I’m taking Ruth with me.”

“How do you know about Blindfold?” Emma asked.

“I told you, Miss Frost, you’re not the one who’s really in control in this scenario.”

Emma opened her mouth as though to argue, but shut it quickly when Charles quirked a brow at her in challenge.

“Remember my warning, Miss Frost. You really don’t want to make me angry.”

Charles took Erik’s hand and led him out to the car, where Darwin and a young girl with dark hair were waiting for them. She let Alex help her into the car, and Charles and Erik sat in the back with her.

“You’ll like it at the school, Ruth. We’ll take good care of you,” Raven told her as they drove away.

Erik grabbed Charles’ hand in a tight grip and let his head fall back against the seat to rest.

++++++++++

Two weeks later, Erik stood in front of a full length mirror in Charles’ bedroom, adjusting his bow tie. While he had to admit that his tailored tuxedo fit him wonderfully, it still felt constricting and out of place on him. Charles couldn’t disagree more, if his hungry expression was any kind of tell.

_We’ll be lucky to make it through the night without me dragging you into a closet to have my way with you._

Erik smirked and turned away from Charles’ reflection to look directly at him.

“That would only be if I don’t haul you down right there in the middle of the ballroom. I wonder what that would do to your approval ratings?” he joked. Charles laughed and gave Erik a quick kiss before leaving the room.

“If we don’t get going, we’ll be late,” he called over his shoulder. Erik sighed and followed him.

_I heard that._

_If you hadn’t, I would have done it again, louder._

_I know this isn’t the type of thing you’re used to, but it’s going to happen more and more from now on._

_I know, and I will do it gladly, for you._

_Gladly?_

_Well, gladly might be a bit of an exaggeration._

Charles captured Erik’s hand when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“No matter what, we belong to each other. Just remember that,” he whispered and kissed Erik again, this time with heat and promise.

++++++++++

 _It’s all for Charles_ Erik thought for the thousandth time. The evening had been… well, not a disaster, but not far from it. At least Erik thought so, even though Charles kept assuring him that things were going well.

Looks and whispers all around them the moment they’d walked in. People recognized Erik from the restaurant video, and while most of the public had assumed he was another bodyguard, Charles had done everything he could to dissuade those at the dinner of this notion. He’d held Erik’s hand, leaned into him, smiled in a way only a lover would, kissed him on the cheek more than once. Erik had no reservations about showing his adoration of Charles in public - it was the reactions to those displays that were making him... twitchy.

“Mr. Lehnsherr, I wasn’t aware that you were… acquainted with Representative Xaviar.”

Erik turned towards the speaker.

“Ambassador Denisov. I’m a bit surprised to see you outside of Saint Petersburg.”

“With Komzin… out of the way, it is much safer for me to return to my regular duties,” the ambassador replied as Charles joined them.

“I heard about Komzin. I doubt he will be missed, from what I knew of him,” Charles said as he slipped his hand into Erik’s. Erik just caught the questioning glance from Charles.

_Yes, it was one of mine - I’ll tell you about it later, if you really want to know._

“Mr. Xaviar, a pleasure to see you again,” Denisov said as he shook Charles’ hand, “I was just telling Mr. Lehnsherr that I had no idea the two of you knew each other.”

“We bumped into each other one night at another dinner. To our delight, we found we have many things in common,” Charles replied and brushed a thumb over the pulsepoint of Erik’s wrist.

“I was a bit surprised, considering Mr. Lehnsherr’s line of work…” the ambassador began, but Charles interrupted him.

“Former line of work, Ambassador Denisov. Erik is going to be an advisor on my staff now.”

“Is that right?” Denisov asked, unable to hide his surprise.

“Yes. I’ve learned that Erik is quite adept at reading people and being able to glean meaning where others flounder to understand a situation. I believe he will be vital to my campaign,” Charles explained, his gaze hard, the unspoken challenge clear to a seasoned politician like Denisov.

“In that case, congratulations to you both. Mr. Lehnsherr will surely be a great asset to you,” Denisov paused and glanced around them before adding, “I’ll be sure to pass along the news to our mutual friends.”

Denisov tipped his head in a respectful nod and disappeared into the crowd. Erik grabbed two drinks from a passing server and handed one to Charles, sipping his as he surveyed the room.

_He was the one who hired me for Komzin and he owes me because I did it free of charge._

_So he’ll start spreading the word to others that know of your past that you’ve turned over a new leaf?_

_He’ll make sure the word gets out, yes._

_We were wondering how we were going to begin that rumor, and it looks like our opportunity fell into our laps._

_I’d rather have you in my lap, naked and trembling._

_Erik…_

_How long do we have to stay, again?_

_Too long._

_I’ll be sure to entertain you._

_That’s what I’m worried about._

++++++++++

Epilogue - 2 years later:

“Do we really have to live here, though?” Erik asked as he looked around their bedroom in the White House.

“It is traditionally the residence of the president and his family, yes,” Charles replied with an amused smile.

“Fuck me.”

“I’d be happy to,” Charles quipped.

“Save it, lovebirds,” Raven said as she came into the room. Charles had named her his Chief of Staff, which was fitting since that was basically what she had been doing for him for years.

“You should address him as Mr. President,” Erik countered sarcastically.

“Would that make you the First…”

“Finish that sentence and I will make sure you die a slow and agonizing death,” Erik interrupted her.

Raven, infuriatingly, just grinned at him, and Charles couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy as he listened to them banter.

Ruth had been right - there was a future where everything Charles wanted was his, and that future was now.


End file.
